To successfully sell anything, you must carefully consider (and plan for) three critical factors.
Firstly, potential customers must desire what is being offered. Attempting to sell a product or service that is not of interest to the customer is unlikely to be successful.
For example, it would be challenging to sell a book about Kama Sutra to a nun.
Therefore, understanding customer needs and preferences is essential to tailor the offering appropriately.
The second factor that must be considered is the customer’s financial situation. Even if a customer wants a product or service, they must have the disposable income to purchase it. For instance, if someone desires a luxury car such as a Bentley or Rolls-Royce, but they only earn $12,000 a year, it is unlikely that they will be able to afford it. Therefore, it is essential to price the offering in a way that is affordable to the customer.
The third and most crucial factor is whether the customer believes that the seller will deliver on their promises.
Customers need to be assured that the product or service they are purchasing will live up to their expectations. If the customer is not convinced of the seller’s claims, even if they want the product and can afford it, they are unlikely to make the purchase. Overcoming skepticism is therefore crucial to the success of any sale.
To overcome skepticism, it is necessary to establish credibility with the customer. One way to do this is by providing evidence that the product or service has worked for others in similar situations. Testimonials, case studies, and examples of successful outcomes can help build trust with the customer. Additionally, providing guarantees and assurances can also help build confidence in the seller’s ability to deliver on their promises. By establishing trust and credibility, potential customers are more likely to buy, even if the product or service is not an immediate necessity.
The Guarantee
Introducing a guarantee is one of the most effective ways to increase sales. In industries that do not typically offer guarantees, providing a guarantee can be a game-changer. For instance, when selling carpets for Carpet One, an affiliated store of Carpet One, it was observed that although the store offered the best guarantees in the industry, this was not promoted in their advertising. With a “no-questions-asked” guarantee, a customer who purchased a platinum brand carpet from Carpet One had 90 days to replace it for any reason at no additional cost except for installation charges. However, this valuable offering was not utilized, and many sales were lost as a result. Hence, it is essential to offer a strong guarantee to boost sales.
Tying guarantees to specific outcomes is the best practice. For example, if you are selling a product or service that claims to generate a specific outcome, then it is best to offer a guarantee that is tied to that result. This approach builds trust with potential buyers and reduces skepticism. The guarantee can be highlighted in the opening copy of the advertisement to capture the attention of potential customers. For instance, if you are selling a product like the 4-Minute Squeeze Page, you can offer a “double your money back guarantee” tied to creating a squeeze page that converts at 25% or better within four minutes. This guarantee is not a blanket assurance, but rather it is tied to a specific result.
So, I promise to “double your money back” if you are unable to create a squeeze page with a conversion rate of 25% or more in under 4 minutes.
This guarantee is clearly outlined in the package description, so you can rest assured that there is no risk involved. I was very careful to tie the guarantee to a specific result, and I included a very specific time frame. Together, these have a profound psychological impact on customers that drive sales and build trust.
I intentionally designed this guarantee to be bold and prominent. By tying it to a specific result, I am confident that my customers will achieve success with my product. I also made the guarantee a central selling point, highlighting it in the opening copy to instill trust in my customers.
To make the guarantee more effective, you should ensure that it stands out in your marketing materials.
One way to achieve this is by using a double money-back guarantee, as it is not commonly offered in the industry. Another way is to make it a focal point of the opening copy. Moreover, the guarantee should be tied to a specific result, which builds trust with potential buyers.
If you’re looking to write copy that includes a guarantee, you should research great ads with the best guarantees, particularly those that are tied to specific outcomes, and examine how they stand out in the marketplace. This way, you can learn to craft guarantees that stand out and capture the attention of potential customers.
Finally, incorporating different types of content like videos can further enhance the effectiveness of the guarantee.
Enter The Testimonials
Overcoming skepticism, especially these days, is tough to say the least. And while there are other ways to build credibility with your potential customers, the most effective method is to create testimonials that demonstrate the value of your offering and share them wildly.
Testimonials can be incredibly powerful when used correctly. They provide social proof that your product or service is effective and can help overcome any doubts or objections that potential customers may have. However, not all testimonials are created equal, and there are a few things that you should keep in mind when using them.
Firstly, it’s important to use testimonials in order. If someone has already seen your testimonials in the past, they may not be as effective the second time around. That being said, if you’re dealing with a new audience, testimonials can be extremely helpful in building trust and credibility.
It’s also worth noting that you don’t need to have testimonials in place before launching your product or service. If getting your offering out there quickly is your priority, you can always add testimonials later. However, the more testimonials you have, the better, so it’s worth making them a priority as soon as possible.
When it comes to creating effective testimonials, there are a few best practices to keep in mind. Firstly, you want to make them look as real as possible. Authenticity is key here, and potential customers can often tell when testimonials have been fabricated.
One way to make your testimonials look more authentic is to use real screenshots from forums or emails, as opposed to just reproducing them on the page.
Additionally, it’s important to optimize your testimonials for skimmers. Not everyone is going to take the time to read through every testimonial on your page, so it’s worth adding headlines or bullet points that highlight the key benefits of your product or service.
Testimonials can be an incredibly effective way to overcome skepticism and build credibility with your potential customers. By following these best practices, you can create testimonials that are both authentic and effective, helping you to increase conversions and grow your business.
A Testimonial Campaign
Let’s talk about creating a testimonial campaign for your product. It’s a great way to build trust with your potential customers and overcome any skepticism they may have.
One way to start is by asking for feedback on a relevant forum before your product launch. Reach out to the community and offer free review copies in exchange for honest feedback. Once you receive their feedback, you can then ask if you can use it as a testimonial on your website.
Another option, which I personally like, is to launch your product in a public format.
You can offer it for free on your blog and ask for feedback in the comments section or on a forum. This way, you can collect testimonials in real-time as people are using your product.
After your product launch, you can also send out an autoresponder asking for feedback from your customers. This is a great way to check in with your customers and see how your product has helped them.
Remember, the more authentic and real your testimonials are, the better. So, don’t be afraid to reach out to your customers and ask for their honest feedback. It’s a great way to build trust and credibility with your audience.
Anticipating Skepticism
Anticipating and addressing skepticism is a crucial factor in successfully marketing a product or service. The ability to anticipate and respond to customer skepticism can help build rapport and credibility with potential customers. The concept of anticipating skepticism was developed by Eugene Schwartz, and is widely used by marketers to this day.
When crafting marketing copy, it is important to be aware of the potential for skepticism among the target audience. For example, using a headline such as “Whoever heard of 17,000 blooms from a single plant?” can help address the potential disbelief that a single plant could produce so many flowers.
Anticipating and addressing skepticism can be achieved in various ways, such as using language that acknowledges the skepticism and offering guarantees that reduce the perceived risk of purchasing a product or service.
For example, in a sales letter promoting an article writing product, the writer might begin with the statement “It’s hard to believe, so many people would send me such raving unsolicited testimonials about my product.”
By acknowledging the skepticism that potential customers may feel, the writer is able to build rapport and establish trust with them.
Similarly, in the dog food niche, a marketer might offer a 100 percent money-back guarantee, accompanied by the statement “I know you can’t tell what you’re getting until after you get a chance to review it, and there’s a lot of bald information being given to dog owners out there.
That’s why I don’t want you to feel like you’re risking anything when you happily involve yourself.” By addressing potential skepticism in this way, the marketer can establish trust and build a positive relationship with potential customers.
So, anticipating and addressing skepticism is an important aspect of marketing, as it can help build rapport and credibility with potential customers. By using language that acknowledges skepticism and offering guarantees that reduce perceived risk, marketers can establish trust and ultimately drive sales.
A Small Commitment To Help Overcome Skepticism
One effective method for overcoming skepticism is to start with a small commitment. By asking for a lower amount such as 7, 17, or $27, rather than larger amounts like 97 or 297, people are more willing to suspend their skepticism.
If you can deliver on this small commitment, it can help build trust and reduce skepticism in the future.
As a business owner, I have found this strategy to be very successful. I offer front-end products at a lower price point and then move my customers up the ladder to make larger commitments later. By starting with a small commitment, I can demonstrate that I am reliable, trustworthy, and deliver on my promises.
This helps to build a relationship of trust and encourages customers to invest in more of my products and services.
You can also apply this strategy to lead generation by offering something of value for free, and then following up with an offer for more in-depth content or services.
This can help to overcome initial skepticism and demonstrate the value you can provide.
By gradually building up to larger commitments, you can establish trust and credibility with potential customers.
Share Personal Results
One effective strategy to overcome customer skepticism is to share personal results.
I follow the principle of “proof before product” and only create products when I have sufficient proof to support them.
To illustrate, most of my products are developed based on my personal experiences and results. For instance, my “instant expert” product has been successful because it showcases my journey from living with my father in a small apartment to purchasing a $120,000 home within 13 months. By highlighting my progress and interspersing testimonials, I aim to validate my personal results and demonstrate that I am not just spinning a story.
Moreover, I detail the various skills I have acquired along the way, such as article writing and ghostwriting, which have enabled me to make money and create successful products. By sharing my own results, I am able to build trust with potential customers and establish myself as an expert in the field. It is important to note that I continue to offer a “double your money-back guarantee” and other assurances to maintain customer satisfaction.
If personal results are not available, it may be necessary to use other approaches. For example, interviewing another person with relevant results or leveraging results from a public domain can be effective alternatives.
Regardless of the approach, it is crucial to demonstrate the value and results of the product to earn the trust of potential customers in competitive markets.
Multiple Modalities
To increase the effectiveness of your proof and overcome skepticism, you’re going to want to use multiple modalities such as the written word, audio, video, charts, and pictures.
While some may find charts time-consuming, they can be helpful by putting everything into an easy-to-understand visual. And you can quickly create a chart using Canva.
Testimonials are another important aspect of proof, and obtaining them can be easily done by calling someone on the phone and recording their testimonial, which gives you a strong audio to use.
PowerPoints can be used as video testimonials from satisfied customers or partners, making it a powerful tool for engaging individuals across multiple modalities. If you don’t want to bother with PowerPoint, ask the customer to submit a quick selfie-style video of themselves using just their phone.
Similarly, guarantees can also be recorded on video or audio and complemented with text (like a transcript) to make it even more powerful.
Engaging imagery and pictures will also help you present proof.
By incorporating all these modalities together, you can overcome skepticism and make your proof more effective.
Basically, you must use multiple modalities to present your proof effectively if you want to maximize conversions on your offer. This includes the use of testimonials, guarantees, pictures, videos, audio, and charts.
Incorporating all of these together can make your proof more engaging and help overcome skepticism. By following these simple yet effective methods, you can increase the effectiveness of your proof and win over your audience.
